Remembrance
by intothedeep27
Summary: Ben pleaded to the stars but his whispers reached no ears but his own, the echoing of his cries the only witness to his pain. But they were a dyad in the Force, the power of life itself, so one was never meant to live without the other.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **He pleaded to the stars but his whispers reached no ears but his own, the echoing of his cries the only witness to his pain. But they were a dyad in the Force, the power of life itself, so one was never meant to live without the other.

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**Disclaimer**:_ I don't own Star Wars or any characters affiliated with it.  
Cover art by __elithien__._

* * *

"**No later light has lightened up my heaven,  
No second morn has ever shone for me;  
All my life's bliss from thy dear life was given,  
All my life's bliss is in the grave with thee."**

_Remembrance, _Emily Brontë

* * *

**Remembrance  
**Chapter One

Rey could feel the stars above, the Force of the thousands of Jedi's that lived before her lifting her up to the unknown, as she used the last of her life to destroy the vile creature that had inflicted pain upon the galaxy throughout generations. Opening her eyes, she saw the fear growing in Palpatine's eyes as the sabers in her hands hummed with power – never had she felt more powerful than at this moment. His screaming rang in her ears as his own power betrayed him, lightning flying all around them.

And with one last push, with one last stand, the Sith's tyrannical reign was no more.

His body fell before her in a smoking heap as she herself felt the power she held within flicker, until it suddenly rushed out of her in a way that left her gasping for air. She staggered a few steps back from the force of it, the sound of the lightsabers falling from her hands echoing across the collapsing chamber. There was a ringing in her ears as her vision began blurring, her body feeling weak – weaker than she had ever felt before in her life, as she fell to one knee. Whatever strength she possessed mere moments ago was nonexistent as her body started to fail, the Force no longer aiding her.

_It's time_, she tearfully thought, her legs and arms growing numb.

Rey knew that if she tried to hold on, that there may have been a slight chance for her to recover from this battle, to continue her journey, but as soon as the thought appeared, she dismissed it; this time, she knew that she was done. There was just...no more fight left in her _to_ continue on. Her friends were safe, the Resistance lived, the Sith were dead. Whatever connection she had with Ben was severed – _empty _– the Force no longer responding to it, leading her to believe that the fall had killed her other half. With Ben gone and her role in the Galaxy fulfilled, a heavy coldness grew in her chest that she knew belonged to death. Death was an unwelcome friend of hers, following her every step as it haunted even her dreams.

Today, she would not welcome its embrace with open arms like she once believed she would; but she understood that what she had done here, that her final stand was a choice with dire consequences that no other would have survived as well. So she would go not angry but...sad. Perhaps with more time and strength, she _could _have saved Ben earlier. Maybe she could have even told him things she always wanted to, but never could because of the war that waged between them.

So with one last look at the crumbling Sith throne, she fell to her other knee, only to collapse forward onto the cold stone, no longer possessing any strength to catch herself; and as she took her final breath, her last thoughts were of the man who came to save her, of the man that would forever have a hold on her like no other, a bond that transcended even the Force. Palpatine had been wrong – she did have a family; she wasn't alone.

And so Rey fell as Ben rose.

As her spirit passed into the Force, Ben climbed like he never did before. He felt the very moment she died and it nearly cost him his own life – he lost his grip on the rocks from the pit he had been thrown into, as a sudden emptiness that wasn't there before flooded his mind and soul. It was inhumane the way this loneliness felt, and instinctively he knew that this darkness meant that Rey was...gone – but it couldn't have been _real_ – _no_, he thought as he pushed himself up,_ she couldn't be dead_.

Finally, what had felt like hours but only mere minutes, a hand shot up from the hole. He heaved himself onto the stone, crawling out from the depths of Exegol. There was no break for him as he staggered forward, his attention going straight to the unmoving body amongst the rubble, unable to turn his eyes away. Pain laced his every step as he dragged his broken leg, and he fell more than once, barely catching himself, but nothing mattered to him more than being at her side.

Unbeknownst to him, though, his very existence kept her tethered to life through their bond. So with every step he took, with every fall to the ground, he reached for her, for _Rey_. He called to the stars, to any who would listen for the woman he loved because she _couldn't _leave him, not when there was so much he wanted – no, _needed_ – to say, because she was the only person who had and ever would understand who he was.

_Why_ he was.

The sheer exhaustion that racked his body and the pain from his leg was no comparison to the pain he felt now, the emptiness of the Force bond breaking his very soul. This emptiness; he had never experienced anything like it before and to know that life without Rey was this?

It was torturous loneliness like no other.

When Ben finally reached her moments later, he fell to the ground as the only thing going through his mind was _her_. He checked for a pulse, for _anything_, but the eyes that once looked at him with light, with anger, with deeper emotions that he had wanted to explore more of with her were nonexistent. Instead, the spark of life in her eyes that had drawn him in and brought him _back to life_, from the brink of complete and utter self-destruction, was replaced with a cold and blank lifeless stare that nearly stopped his own heart.

Ben felt a sob grow in his chest but held it back as he maneuvered Rey's body into his lap, gently holding her. He threw his head around, hoping – _praying _– that there would be someone that could help them. Holding her against his chest, where there should have been a heartbeat against his own, there was none, only an unmoving chest with no sign of life whatsoever.

_Please_, he pleaded to the stars, but his whispers reached no ears but his own, the echoing of his cries the only witness to his pain.

Ben looked down, back into her death glazed eyes, as the realization of what he knew he needed to do settled heavily into his chest. For her, he would do anything – just as he had promised her months ago, he would give her the universe if she had taken his hand. And...and today, she did, as they fought Palpatine together.

For the only woman who would ever hold his heart, he would gladly give his own to save her.

He allowed himself a second of selfishness with the tight embrace he gave her, rocking her in his arms, as he begged for her to forgive him for the decision he was about to make. Then pulling back, he sat up straight and closed his eyes, placing a hand on her stomach while reaching for the Force within – he was already so drained from this fight, and he knew that to bring her back, he would have to give everything. He forced himself to _feel_ in a way he hadn't in so long, to reach out to the Force and the Light to heal, to call out to Rey's spirit to bring her back to him.

They were a dyad in the Force, the power of life itself. One was never meant to live without the other, and with all the power Ben held, he unknowingly restored a balance to the Force that hadn't been seen in millenniums.

He was aware of the very moment Rey came back before she even took her first breath – the bond that had fallen silent between them came alive, flourishing under the power that once connected him to her. With a jolt of life and a gasp of air, she painfully grabbed his hand, centering her back to life.

At this, Ben's eyes flew open, melting into the warm brown eyes that greeted him. She looked at him with confusion at first, but it quickly went away as she smiled, gazing at him in a way that made his slowing heart beat a little stronger, helping him stay a little longer to be with her.

Rey slowly pulled herself up in his lap, bringing her closer to him, when he came to the realization that what he felt for her wasn't just love; it was something so much more, so much _deeper_. With her, he felt whole, his soul no longer at war with itself.

With her, he felt true unadulterated _happiness_.

"_Ben_."

His name on her lips, the light in her eyes – _if only he had more time_.

Rey gently placed a hand against his face, staring deeply into his soul, before closing the distance between them with a kiss. It wasn't thought out, she hadn't planned on doing it, but some part of her yearned for the connection that only she could have with him. She kissed him _hard_, never wanting to let go. Seconds ticked by before they did break apart, as they looked at each other with an intensity like no other, she continued to tenderly touch the side of his face because she wanted to just _feel _him, because she thought he had been dead and–

She just...never believed she would be where she was now, with him.

Ben looked back at her, cradling her face, as he felt more alive than ever. Here, with her in his arms...there were no words to describe how he felt. It was love, happiness, contentment; it was just pure _joy_ knowing that she chose to be with him, even if he could not stay. But his body felt weak, his spirit faint, signaling to him that his time was up. There was so much he had wanted to say but did not have the time to.

So instead, he opted for a smile, his first in such a long time, and hoped that it conveyed all of which he wished he could have said.

Because Ben started falling, and Rey began screaming.

Rey could only watch as one second, he was with her here, smiling, warm and strong and _alive_, and the next, his eyes fluttering as he fell backward, a numbing echo replacing the life in their bond. She could only scream his name as she tried to catch him, but she had no strength in her to carry his weight. She softened their impact to the ground as much as possible and proceeded to grab his shoulders when she saw the edges of his body begin to flicker.

And the moment she felt his spirit beginning to slip away into the Force was when her mind went blank.

Rey didn't know what she did nor how, but with all the power within her and the voices of the Force, she _pulled_. She pulled and pulled and _pulled _on that tether that connected them to each other, keeping the man she loved here with her in her arms. They were a bond – a _dyad _bond, stronger than life – and without one, there could be no other. She screamed and cried, she felt the ghosts of the past all around her: they were spirits of the familiar and unfamiliar surrounding her.

Rey turned to them and begged.

Out of anyone, he deserved redemption for his past actions. Here, today, the decisions he made alone proved that he was not what everyone had believed him to be. _She_ _had been right_. Ben deserved a future, a life beyond the prison that the darkness had shackled him too.

The spirits saw...and they listened. Out of the many gifts they had given today, they had one last one to give.

_Life_.

Life for the man who had brought Rey back from the dead at the cost of his own, and life for the two people who deserved nothing less than a happy future with one another.

They poured power into her and Rey let herself be a conduit as the Force flowed through her and into Ben. Seconds passed when she felt the surge of the power dwindle, and like earlier, it suddenly rushed out of her, leaving her to gasp for air. Then, a sudden wave of weakness slammed down onto her with no warning, leaving her with no choice but to fall onto Ben's unmoving body, still devoid of life.

Did she fail? Was it not enough?

_Was he truly gone?_

She remained where she was on his chest, weakly cradling his face in her hands as she felt herself begin to fall under the darkness of unconsciousness, tears streaming down her face. Her body screamed in agony, from both the mental and physical strain that was placed upon her today, but she found that she didn't have it in her to care. Without him, a part of her would always be missing.

Unconsciousness called to her and she unwillingly felt herself fall under its spell, but the final thing Rey witnessed before passing out?

A single heartbeat from beneath and two dark, familiar brown eyes meeting her own, her name ringing in her ears.

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**01: **End

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**A/N**:_ Am I happy that Reylo is canon? Hell yeah, I am, because this fandom has given Reylo shippers so much shit from the beginning._

_Am I upset that Ben is dead? Hell fucking yeah I am, and for now, fuck you J.J. Abrams and Disney. We all know that there were reshoots and that Ben was most likely NOT supposed to die. He should have been with Rey at the end, goddamnit._

_Anyways, the next chapter will be up soon so stay notified by following!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary**: He pleaded to the stars but his whispers reached no ears but his own, the echoing of his cries the only witness to his pain. But they were a dyad in the Force, the power of life itself, so one was never meant to live without the other.

* * *

**Disclaimer**:_ I don't own Star Wars or any characters affiliated with it.  
Cover art by elithien._

* * *

**"No later light has lightened up my heaven,  
No second morn has ever shone for me;  
All my life's bliss from thy dear life was given,  
All my life's bliss is in the grave with thee."**

_Remembrance, _Emily Brontë

* * *

**Remembrance  
**Chapter Two

In death, Ben saw ghosts.

He remembered a vast emptiness surrounded by pathways and darkness as stars that sparkled in the distance all around. There was a tether within him that he subconsciously knew was Rey, and when it tugged on him, he followed down that path it led until he was brought to something akin to a mirror; but no reflection stared back at him. Instead, Rey was what he saw. He watched her holding his body in her arms with her shaking, their roles now reversed. He was unable to hear what she was saying but by her body language alone, he felt his soul shattering from where he stood, so close yet so far.

He placed a hand against the images, an eerie cold seeping into his palm.

Ben had understood that his decision was not an easy one for them both. Yet, he had done it for her, because she was the one who deserved to continue living, to travel and do the things she loved, and to just..._live_. He did what he did not to make up for the pain he had inflicted upon the galaxy but because that was the only right thing he could do in his last moments. So when he saw Rey crying over his dead body, he had to turn away, unable to watch any further.

"_But you must watch._"

Whirling around at the sudden voice, his eyes widened. He recognized the man standing behind him from pictures and the stories that he heard as a child. A blue aura surrounded the Jedi's ghost as a small part of Ben cowered at the sight of his namesake.

"...Obi-wan Kenobi?"

A hand on his shoulder, the former Jedi turned him back to the mirror. "_Watch_."

Brows furrowing, Ben did as he was told and turned back around. Rey was now kneeling over his body, throwing her head side to side, her mouth moving as she seemed to be speaking. One by one, unfamiliar blue ghosts began forming around them – _Obi-wan included_ – until one last body kneeled by his head, a familiar face amongst the unknown.

It was his grandfather, Anakin Skywalker.

Rey placed a hand upon Ben's forehead, where Anakin had placed his own hand. The room then lit up with no warning in bright light, so bright that even Ben had to shield his eyes. When he turned back, expecting Rey to have shielded herself from the brightness, he saw no reaction from here. Instead, the ghosts all bowed their heads as one by one, they blinked out of existence until only three remained; his mother, grandfather, and uncle. Anakin stood up, his body fading by the second, and gave one last smile to Luke and Leia before disappearing. The two remained a little longer before fading away as well.

"What–"

"_My boy, it was not your time yet. You two are a bond, a soul of one, a balance – you were never meant to live without each other_." Obi-wan took a step back before saying, "._..Be worthy of my name, Ben Solo._"

The last thing he remembered was the former Jedi's firm gaze before the tether within yanked, bringing him back to life. And then Ben awoke in his body, eyes shooting open to the grey stone ceilings. There was a weight on his chest and a hand on his face – he only had a second to process everything before he felt Rey's hand slipping from his face. He hurriedly called out her name but her eyes fluttered shut without a response. Instead, he caught her hand and gripped it tightly, but was comforted by the warmth she radiated and the pulsing strength of their bond. Calming himself down, he slowly pulled himself up while ignoring the burn of pain in his body. Although he struggled to do even this simple task, he refused to let it prevent him from trying to ensure that Rey was okay.

He silently went through the motions of checking for injuries as his eyes strayed to her face. Tear stains marked her cheeks, the dust and grit from the fight settling on her. His hand hovered over her cheek as the realization of the consequences from today's fight began to truly into his chest.

Ben knew he could not go back with her, not to the Resistance. Too much death and anger were between him and the organization his mother helmed, and there would be no forgiveness for his actions; he did not seek it as well. He was not looking for his past transgressions to be pushed aside and he hoped that Rey understood that. What he did today, here with her, was not a decision he made in hopes to be forgiven. He did it because it was the right thing to do. He made a fist before pulling away, a heavy sigh leaving his mouth. But a sudden movement in his lap made him freeze.

"Ben!" Before he could respond, Rey fully awoke and jumped onto him, tackling them both to the ground as her arms wrapping around him. His hands instinctively held her back as he felt her tears on his neck, her shoulders shaking. "_You're alive_," Rey muttered over and over again, a relief that he understood in her voice. He still had no response when she pulled back, a blinding smile greeting him.

She continued to touch his face, his hair, his neck, his shoulder – she had to reassure herself that he was really here, that he wasn't going to fade away like he almost had earlier. Her fingers grazed his cheeks when his eyes softened, recognizing what she was doing.

Steeling himself, Ben lifted a shaky have over her cheek once more as she paused in her movements. Earlier, when they both had been fueled with adrenaline from the fight, and in the moment they had allowed their instincts to take over and to succumb to the emotions that had been building within them for over a year. Now, with their bodies tired and but mind clearer, he could not help but think that he would be no good for her–

But Rey, seeing the conflict that tore within him, answered Ben's silent question by moving slightly closer. She placed the side of her face into his palm, a smaller but warmer smile on her face as her eyes shined with something indescribable. At this, Ben felt a tear escape, slowly streaming down his face, as he watched her pull his hand into her own before kissing his palm.

She understood him and stayed.

Like the final piece of a puzzle, Rey's love broke something within him. One tear fell after another as a quiet sob left his mouth. The hold that the months and years of terror, manipulation, and incomprehensible anger that burned within him finally disappeared as he finally allowed himself to _breathe_.

Rey brought their heads together, holding him as he opened his heart out to her with his tears, and she kept him centered by never letting go.

0O0

They leaned on each other as the two limped together out of the Sith Temple.

"I can't go with you," Ben announced as they reached their individual ships. "And you know why."

He expected resistance from her but the sudden anger that erupted on her face surprised even him. "No! I can tell them what you did here–" Her mouth continued moving but he heard nothing but the beating of his heart as he felt himself falling deeper and deeper into the unknown, the love he felt for her continuing to surprise even him. Even here, in the ruins and chaos of the Sith temple, she vowed to fight for him to her fellow comrades.

"_Rey_." He placed a hand on her shoulder, cutting her mid-sentence and forcing her to look at him. "I have spilled too much blood to ask for forgiveness from the Resistance. If I go with you, we both know what'll happen."

Rey remained stubborn and tried to think of arguments, but Ben unexpectedly pulled her into one last hug, her arms trapped at her sides. She paused before her forehead fell against his shoulder, her resolve to convince him crumbling. "...I'll fight for you," she whispered weakly.

His arms tightened around her, his voice rumbling in his chest. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

In time, they pulled apart and Ben helped her to Luke's old x-wing. "What should I say?" she asked, settling into the starfighter.

The entire time they were leaving the temple, he had pondered over this. What could Rey say to everyone that would be enough? That would allow them to truly understand what had occurred here? And as he saw his reflection in Rey's eyes, he knew. "Tell them the truth as you see fit but...tell them that Kylo Ren is dead." She seemed stunned for a moment before understanding what he meant. "And Rey?" She paused over the button to close the ship as he said, "I'll come find you."

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**02**: End

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**A/N:**_ Here's chapter two. It's not long but I'm working on chp 03, which should be done relatively soon. On another note, when I first started shipping Reylo, I genuinely didn't think they'd become a thing. Like, ever. Everyone around me was so convinced that they were related that I was highkey terrified of shipping them – and then TLJ came out and oh boi, was I excited. Then here we are, four years later with TROS, highkey shocked that they became canon but mad at how they executed it._

_Sad._

_Oh well – leave a review and I'll try to respond in the next chapter :)_

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**Mayazita:** Hi, thank you so much! I'm very self-conscious of my writing style so reading your review made me so happy :)

**SqueakyDolphin6:** Wow, thank you, I'm blushing lmfao! But yeah, as I was watching the movie I was so surprised at how they kinda...killed Ben off, like? You're contradicting yourself? God, they WERE robbed and I am still upset. Smh.

**Mischief Managed:** Thank you! Literally, that was me I'm so sure that the people around me were fed up with my reactions LMFAO!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary**: He pleaded to the stars but his whispers reached no ears but his own, the echoing of his cries the only witness to his pain. But they were a dyad in the Force, the power of life itself, so one was never meant to live without the other.

* * *

**Disclaimer**:_ I don't own Star Wars or any characters affiliated with it.  
Cover art by elithien._

* * *

"**No later light has lightened up my heaven,  
No second morn has ever shone for me;  
All my life's bliss from thy dear life was given,  
All my life's bliss is in the grave with thee."**

_Remembrance, _Emily Brontë

* * *

**Remembrance  
**Chapter Three

When Rey landed on the Resistance Base, a weight lifted off her shoulders as she saw her friends. Their happiness at the fact that the long _long_ war was over and they were all still alive – the sensation of being able to breathe without worrying about the First Order finding them was a relief like no other.

But the moment she saw Finn and the smile on his face, Rey felt guilt replace that said weight. How was she going to break it to him – to _everyone_ – that Ben was still alive? They wouldn't see two separate people, to them Kylo Ren and Ben Solo were the same being. To them, Ben being alive resulted only in the fear that he would come back and ruin the freedom that they just gained, to oppress them once again.

"Rey!"

For now, she would keep her mouth shut, because the sudden warmth that rushed over her gave her the strength to continue standing without caving under the guilt. Her secret would remain with her only until she knew that everyone was ready, no matter how long it took. So instead, she ran to her friends and allowed herself to be enveloped in the happiness that being with them brought her. They were celebrating; there was no need for her to ruin this moment for them all.

Days passed and in time, Rey began to pack. She ate, celebrated, slept, repeat; she was as well-rested as she could be at this point. A part of her knew that she needed to leave; there was just...so much more she that she felt that she needed to do. Whether that was to help aid Ben his journey away from the dark or to continue her own Jedi journey into places unknown, all that she did know was that her place was not here, amongst her friends as she once had hoped. It was a gut feeling, a continuous pull in another direction that she knew would guide her.

"What are you doing?" Yelping in surprise at the sudden voice, she whirled around and saw Finn, Poe trailing behind him. He was looking not at her but at the bag in her hands with confusion. "...You're leaving already?"

Rey felt a pang in her heart at the slight anger that flooded his voice. "Yes. I'm sorry but I don't know how to explain it – my place isn't here anymore, Finn."

There was a pause, an awkward second of silence as Poe finally caught up to them. "...It's him, isn't it?" Finn suddenly declared, looking up. Poe looked at them with confusion, only hearing the tail end of the question.

Heart skipping a beat, Rey instinctually feigned ignorance. "What are you talking about?" She kept a calm exterior but inside, she panicked. How? Why? Better yet: how could she explain _Ben Solo_ without angering them all? Without sacrificing Ben?

"Kylo Ren." The moment his name fell from Finn's lips, the air between the three friends grew tense with a nauseating mixture of confusion, anger, and betrayal – all of which radiated from the two men. Rey opened her mouth, ready to explain the entire situation away without making it worse when he interrupted with his intense pacing, something she always saw him do when he was taut with anger. "Remember on Pasaana, when we fell into the quicksand? Do you remember how I wanted to tell you something?"

As she slowly nodded, Poe narrowed his eyes at Finn and held up a hand. "Wait, is this about that damned secret? The one you still refuse to tell me even now?" he interjected, trying in his own way to diffuse the tension with another question.

But Finn ignored him and looked at her instead, his face unreadable. "I'm Force-sensitive."

At these words, Rey forced her face into a blank mask that she was getting eerily better at controlling. There was only a single thought in her head at his sudden declaration: she was not surprised. She had sensed that he was more in tune with the Force than he had let on to everyone, and why he kept this hidden from her was more the surprise than anything.

"Nothing? You're not even shocked?"

"I…" With a heavy sigh, she too began to pace, albeit with smaller steps and less frantically. For a split second, Rey _had_ thought that she should act surprise, as it seemed that _that_ was the response that he sought, but she knew better – she knew _Finn. _He was her best friend, someone who she confided in and vice versa. To keep her true feelings only to herself would only be a disservice to them all, especially after what they all went through together. So, steeling herself, she responded in the only way she knew how – by telling the truth. "Finn, I _knew_ – how could I not? You're my best friend and...and I sensed the Force's presence around you–"

Interrupting with a sound of frustration, he stormed up to her and placed both of his hands on her shoulders, holding her firmly in place. "That's not the point I'm trying to make! I'm – fine, whatever, you knew. Okay, that conversation is done–"

"No, it's not," Poe growled.

"_Fine_, it's tabled for now," he muttered and threw his head back. There was some unspoken conversation that lasted a few seconds between the two men before there was a grunt of acceptance from Poe, and despite her current predicament, Rey couldn't help but feel a sliver of amusement at the way they interacted. However, when Finn turned back around, she felt her heart drop even more. "But Force sensitivity issue aside, your refusal to deny Kylo's death means that I'm right." Not a question – a statement. "He's alive."

Once again, Rey's immediate thought went to denying it, but Poe looked at her from behind Finn, and underlying the confusion in his eyes too were hints of betrayal, and she knew that hiding this information would only backfire horribly in her face. Already, she was experiencing the repercussions of hiding what truly occurred from her friends.

"Yes." With a heavy heart, she said, "Ben Solo is alive."

At once, Finn staggered back like he had been struck as Poe caught him, keeping him steady.

She had expected screaming, yelling, fighting, a _literal _explosion of fire and chaos in the room they stood in, but she was taken aback from the stillness in the air that originated from them instead. No response, just plain _silence_.

Unlike the usual Poe she was used too, with the emotional responses he typically gave, instead he had an unreadable look on his face as he quietly asked how. She nodded and took a deep breath, going back to the memory of her fight with Palpatine.

But the unexpected happened. As Rey began to remember, her heart began to beat harder and faster in her chest as the air in her lungs suddenly disappeared. She felt herself beginning to hyperventilate, unable to take in the air she needed. It was as if all the blood in her body was replaced with ice, her mind going straight to her...her death. Anxiety flooded her system and she was unable to dive back out of the flashback. She began drowning in the terror of what had truly occurred, of the torturous pain that her grandfather forced her to go through.

For a split-second, she wasn't on Ajan Kloss, where the Resistance was based out of, and she wasn't with her friends in her small cramped room; no, she was on Exegol, thinking Ben had died and the voices of the Force in her head as Palpatine's lightning burned through her and–

"I died," she forcefully whispered, her voice cracking. She gulped, trying to rid her throat of the sudden dry spell, but instead, it only intensified the feeling of her stomach rocking with the contents of her breakfast. She had to turn down away from them, unable to look at her friends. "Palpatine had...somehow drained the bond I have with Ben for himself – he had said that it was like the power of life itself. I remember...falling and for one second, Ben was there, next to me on the ground – and we were still together, even though we weren't? But then Palpatine flung him into a crater and I thought he had died." Rey had to take a second to rearrange her thoughts, to ground herself back to the present, which was oh so very hard. She was barely there with Poe and Finn – most of her was stuck in a loop of the events that she was reliving. "So I woke up. Stood up against Palpatine. And then I–"

Before she could continue, footsteps forced her to look up. While Finn was still standing away from her, he was still closer than earlier as Poe placed a gentle hand against her arm. The warmth that he radiated towards Rey, despite knowing that she had been unable to do the one thing that the Resistance thought that she _could_ do, made tears form at the corner of her eyes. It gave her a little more strength to finish speaking. "I channeled the Force into me. All that I could hold and even more – I allowed myself to be a conduit for the Light. I remember so many voices in my head that weren't mine, their echoes...I heard Master Skywalker – I even heard General Leia, Poe! I _heard_ her. So I was defeated Palpatine. But I had no fight in me; I was so _tired_ and I was in so much pain. I just...I couldn't go on, you know? You guys were safe, the Resistance had won, but I was done. So then...then I died."

Her voice cracked and her body felt like lead. At this point, tears were freely streaming down her cheeks, the terror of that night now truly dawning on her. She had disassociated herself from that terrorizing event, pushing it to the furthest corners of her mind. It had occurred only a little over a week ago, but this entire time, she had been avoiding the topic with herself. Forcing herself to forget the nightmares – to simply forget, in general. She hadn't truly digested that she had died – she had been _dead_.

"And the next thing I knew, I was with Ben and he had brought me back to life by sacrificing his own," she said with a sad finality, her voice barely even a whisper.

"I...I didn't know. Hell, none of us knew that Rey – why didn't you tell us?"

Sniffling, she forced herself to talk over the lump in her throat. "I'm sorry about saying nothing about Ben–"

Finn suddenly pushed Poe aside and enveloped Rey into a hug. "You know what, yeah, you should've said something about Ben but Poe wasn't talking about that!" Tightening his arms, he said, "You shouldn't have to deal with your own death alone, Rey."

His words echoed in her ears and when she looked at Poe from over Finn's shoulder, there was now a different look in his eyes. Replacing the betrayal was something different. They were filled with such a heavy sadness that, when he went to join the hug, Rey began sobbing into her best friends' arms, a broken girl.

Everything wasn't really okay, but for now, that was all right.

Once the emotions in the room simmered down to a more reasonable level, the trio spoke with one another. They said the things they truly felt, the fears that they were forced to face in their final battle against the Final Order. And once they could start smiling and laughing at the stupid jokes that Poe liked to make, that was when they knew that they were okay. Yes, Rey's secret had been a sharp blow to their friendship, but it wasn't enough to destroy the camaraderie that had bonded them together.

As much as Finn wanted to chase after Kylo Ren, he couldn't deny that the former First Order Leader _had_ saved the galaxy alongside Rey. So he agreed to keep Ben's existence a secret amongst only the three of them under _one_ condition: to aid the Resistance.

"How the hell do you expect him to help us? His face is known by everyone in the Galaxy, despite that dumbass mask of his _and_ not to mention, there are only _two_ Force users in the Galaxy that can fight and uh, it's Rey and Kylo," Poe argued, a hand on Finn's shoulder.

"The First Order – or Final Order, whatever the hell you want to call them – may have fallen, but there are still survivors. I know that they'll try to maintain as much control and power as they can. They won't have the strength that they did a week ago, but they'll still become a threat if we don't stamp it down now." Finn looked at a small map of a system that happened to be in Rey's room. "There are hidden bases all across the galaxy that we might not know about, hiding Stormtroopers with weapons that can still terrorize us."

"But how do you expect Ben to help?" Rey threw in, her brows furrowed in thought. "He told me that he left most of the plans and whatnot with the generals – there may be a chance that he might not have _that _much information that'll help us anymore." Especially with most of the First Order dead, many of the higher command people had died when Finn blew up one of the main star destroyers.

"He _has_ to know something – anything, really! But Finn's right, we can't in good conscience leave him free without some sort of aid in exchange. I'm sorry Rey, I know that you say he's changed but we haven't seen him or spoke to him, and what he's done to us for _years_ will take twice as long and even more to forget," Poe explained.

And she understood. Before she could form a response, the air around her blurred, her friends melting into the background as she felt and then saw Ben suddenly standing before her.

"Rey."

"...Ben," she breathed out with a smile.

She hurriedly explained what had happened, throwing in an apology that she couldn't keep him hidden a little longer. But unlike the frustration she had expected – it seemed that today was not her day in reading people – there was a strange sense of calm that he radiated. "I'll agree. I'll help the Resistance crush any First Order insurgents that survived the battle, to tell you of the locations of top-secret bunkers that might contain some of the council members that might have survived. It's a start to try and repair the terror I imposed upon everyone." With a sad smile, he said, "It's the least I can do."

Rey's hand slowly went up towards his face as she took him in – he looked pale and dirty, hair unkempt. but there was a brightness to his eyes that was nonexistent a mere week ago, and she felt inexplicable relief at what she saw. Repeating what she had done in the Sith temple, Ben gently placed his face into her palm with a smile, his hand covering her own.

"Okay." They both closed their eyes, the bond beating in a balance that spoke to them what words could not. And as it melted away and reality shifted back, Rey felt the same words leave her mouth again.

"_Okay_."

* * *

**03**: End

* * *

**A/N**: _I'm sorry this chapter was late. All I can say for an excuse is over winter break my mental health deteriorated and once classes started up, with me leaving home and whatnot, I've been not too good. But I've been feeling a little better for the past few days so I really want to finish this story, so I promise that the next chapter will be done soon. Hell, it might even be up this weekend – that's how I'm feeling right now. So, please leave a review :) Even if I don't respond it really does make me feel a little better about my writing. But in all honesty, please take care of yourself you guys. __Mental health is important._


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary**: He pleaded to the stars but his whispers reached no ears but his own, the echoing of his cries the only witness to his pain. But they were a dyad in the Force, the power of life itself, so one was never meant to live without the other.

* * *

**Disclaimer**:_ I don't own Star Wars or any characters affiliated with it.  
Cover art by elithien._

* * *

**"No later light has lightened up my heaven,  
No second morn has ever shone for me;  
All my life's bliss from thy dear life was given,  
All my life's bliss is in the grave with thee."**

_Remembrance, _Emily Brontë

* * *

**Remembrance  
**Chapter Four

Days later, Rey found herself in the Millenium Falcon, BB-8 by her side as she began to start up the old starship. Poe had offered the droid as a companion, an idea that the little robot had actually brought up to him, and she gladly agreed to the extra companionship. She loved the little guy and having him with her made her feel a little happier.

She inserted the jump coordinates that Ben had given her and waited for the ship to calculate the time it would take. As the computer did its thing, she turned to her friend with a smile.

"Thank you for coming with me," she said, placing a hand on the droid. He beeped in response and after a few more seconds, the ship was ready. Taking one last look at the planet that had housed her for the past year, she initiated the hyperdrive that sped her away.

Half an hour later, the Millenium Falcon and its two-member crew found itself on the snow-covered planet of Vandor, a frown forming on Rey's face.

"I hate the snow," she declared as she began rummaging throughout all the closets on the ship, hunting for a snowsuit capable of keeping her warm in the harsh cold. She found one minutes later and shouted out in glee, inciting a surprise beep from BB-8. "Of course I don't like the cold! I lived my entire life on Jakku." As she zipped up the jacket and shoved her foot into a snow boot, she continued, "I'm just not used to it, that's all." Then with a grunt of struggle, she muttered to herself, "I should've put the boots on before the jacket."

BB-8 only beeped one word and yelped in his own, droid way, when a boot came flying towards him.

After the fiasco of finding clothes capable of withstanding the harsh cold temperatures, Rey began preparations to set the Falcon down, but in the midst of the snow that whipped around the ship from the engines was a lone figure standing, a hand in the air.

_Ben_, she thought happily, excitement following every move she made. It didn't matter that she had not needed to put on clothes appropriate for the weather because she could barely contain herself with joy. When the ship finally landed and as the landing ramp finally connected her to the planet, she found herself running down the ramp.

She stopped before setting a foot into the snow, her nerves getting the best of her, but when Ben pulled his hood and goggles off, a name left her lips: "_Ben_."

He trekked through the snow, foot after foot in the deep, but like she had done he too stopped short before the entrance of the ship. While he seemed happy to see her, she sensed the conflict from within their bond – the ship was a different story. Through the memories he shared with her, she knew that the last he had been on it was when he was a kid, being shipped off to the Jedi Temple.

Rey, sensing his unease, reached out physically. He was in reaching distance, and by placing a hand against his arm, she tethered him back to the present with her. "I know this ship causes you pain, Ben, but...it's okay." _I'm here_, were the unspoken words that reverberated through their bond.

His eyes remained on the Falcon for a few more moments before turning to her, a darkness in his eyes storming amongst the warm chocolate she had gotten used too. But he took a deep breath and nodded his head. They both recognized that whatever this was, it was never going to be an easy path for either of them. It would be a tumultuous journey that neither were truly prepared for and while setbacks were to be expected, the small steps forward were what truly mattered.

Rey felt herself return the small smile he had on his face as she led him back to the ship, back towards her.

It was a good start.

The duo closed the ramp and she helped him settle himself into the large starship. They were silent in their movements but there was an ease to them, a rhythm that typically took most years to develop between each other. For them, it was instinctual.

Months would pass and during this period, the two took their time to learn about each other and themselves. For so long, both had been held back by the unfortunate circumstances that had controlled them – Rey with her imprisonment in Jakku and Ben with the First Order.

On some days, they would find themselves be hiding out on a planet, hunting down the remainders of the First Order generals who had managed to escape the chaos that had been Exegol; and on others, they would huddle in the ship, studying the books that Rey had taken from Luke.

Today, though, the comfortable schedule that they had settled into would change. When Rey woke up and prepared a meal, she saw Ben looking straight through her. With an energy bar in her mouth, she tilted her head and asked, "Are you okay?"

He remained mute but nodded his head. She frowned but let it slide, for now.

Once the food was eaten, things cleaned up a little, they both officially started their day by going towards the cockpit. "So where to today?" Rey asked, chucking off a large blanket onto the pilot's seat before sitting on it. BB-8 rolled next to her when Ben answered.

"Canto Bight."

Taken aback, Rey couldn't help but whirl around, staring at him; he was standing by the entrance of the cockpit, his brows furrowed in deep thought. "...What?" Was this the reason why he had been acting so weird?

"I had...a dream, you could say," he muttered, moving towards the seat. He stood beside her and next to BB-8, but refused to sit down. Instead, his eyes roamed the controls and levers, but they were glazed over, almost as if he was recalling a distant memory. Yet, oddly enough, he was actually easy to read as of right now, his barriers down around her – a development that had grown during their time together. "Something about this person is important." She asked if he had seen whoever this person was but the look on his face was an answer enough. "No. That was the thing that eluded me, no matter how long I tried to meditate, to see. There was a fog that prevented me from seeing them...but all I know is that our next step is there." He quickly turned away, quietly adding, "But that's only if you want too, of course."

_If you still want me with you_, was the underlying tone of his question.

"Ben." Despite sitting, she placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes, firm in her stance and voice. "I'm with you, always. Here, there, anywhere in the galaxy, I'll always be there for you. Six months ago I was here, and years from now I'll still be there too." This was the reassurance that he seemed to need as he finally sat down beside her; she quickly grabbed his hand with a wide grin, saying, "Canto Bight won't know what hit them."

0O0

The moment she successfully landed the Falcon in the Casino City, Rey felt a surge of energy from the Force like never before. It was so different from the other experiences she had and it was clear to her that she had sensed what Ben saw in his vision. There was someone here that was just like them, a force user. She was so sure of it that when she said this to Ben, the look he gave her only confirmed what she thought.

"But this place...it's massive," Rey muttered, looking around at the tall buildings as she walked alongside Ben. They both wore clothes and masks akin to those worn by the aristocrats that frequented the casino, allowing them easy access throughout the city without being noticed – her in a long flowing dress that she hated with a burning passion and Ben in a typical white suit that was so similar to the ones that she saw others wearing. She had grumbled the entire time as she changed, with Ben laughing at her. In frustration, she threw her shoe at his head, only for BB-8 to rudely mention that she had done the same to him. She retaliated by throwing the identical pair at the droid.

"Canto Bight disgusting. I'm sure you've heard of what occurs down here," Ben muttered darkly, sneering at the high pitched giggles from the group in front of them, as he continued, "The corruption here runs so deep and of you have the money for it, there is _nothing_ you can't buy here. It ranges from exotic animals to illegal merchandising, assassinations to slavery – and I'm sure you know what else you can get here without me having to say it out loud." At this, Rey found herself growling, knowing exactly what he meant; she remembered about what happened to those that disappeared from Jakku if they didn't meet the quota for the month.

"I've heard only what Finn and Rose experienced here last year but I didn't know it was that bad."

The conversation would have continued had it not been for a sudden pull from the force, stopping the two in their tracks. It interrupted whatever train of thought that they had and with one look at each other, they silently began following the narrow path to their right, the mission of their search the most important part of the night.

Gradually, the clean marbling and stone hat had surrounded them turned into a path of sand and dirt until the typical disgusting smell of a stable wafted over them. Rey was in the lead and the growing sounds of children's voices and laughter fueled her steps until she reached a stable door. Both were not sure what to expect; while they had prepared themselves for an adult, it hadn't occurred to them that the suspected Force user could be a child.

Yet, there was no denying the voices inside. "Bye Temiri!" Various voices called out and while Rey and Ben remained hidden, they heard the chaotic banging of doors and footsteps, until only one voice was left, and it was undeniably a young boy, singing to himself.

Quietly, Rey open the door, careful to keep it from making a noise. She hid behind the stall before her, Ben following suit, and watched from the corner the boy humming while looking up at the night sky.

Ben shifted, preparing himself to stand, but Rey quickly grabbed his forearm and shook her head, a finger on her lips. _Wait_, she mouthed. She sensed that the boy was strong with the Force, but to what extent? Was it enough to reveal themselves to the child? And if so, what were they going to say?

They had come _too_ unprepared for this situation.

But soon after these thoughts, the Force gave her a clear cut answer: Temiri, the young stablehand, stretched his hand and in front of them, the broom on the ground flew through the air before slowing down towards the boy.

Rey's heart was racing and judging by how pale Ben was, he was just as nervous. Yet, he was also radiating an energy she couldn't get a read on.

"Ben, what's wrong?" she quietly whispered.

"I…" He shook his head but his voice was quiet yet shaky. "I just...you were the last person that I felt with this kind of power. All the others that were like us, the Order did horrible things to – _I_ did horrible things to. I'm just reminded of that–"

A sudden snap and they froze. Rey unconsciously shifted in her nervousness and had stepped onto a conveniently placed twig, the sound of it breaking echoing throughout the stable.

"Who's there?" the boy, Temiri, suddenly called out.

Rey silently cursed before standing up, both hands up in a way to show herself unarmed. Ben, on the other hand, stood in his typical way, towering over her in his height.

Temiri looked at them first with surprise before it melted into a wildish fear – a crazed look in his eyes that Rey could only sympathize with. It was a look she had seen far too often in herself growing up as a scavenger, and when she saw him tighten his hold on the brook, she rushed out, "Don't worry! We're just here to speak with you."

"Why? I didn't do anything wrong – I'm cleaning, just like the Boss said to!"

"No no, we're not with your boss." She tried smiling but when she saw that Temiri continued to look fearfully at Ben, she turned her head and quickly said, "Ben, stop brooding, you're scaring him." Her companion looked confused for a second but before he could say anything, Temiri spoke.

"What do you want? If you're looking for a place to do..._your_ thing, you know, what you adults like to do, you can't do it here. I'll get in trouble."

"Our thing…?" Realization dawned on Rey and she began sputtering, her face turning a deep red in embarrassment. "Oh no, _no no no_, y-you've got it all wrong! We–I–_Ben!_"

"Uh– Okay, we, uh, we're just like you." Ben too was red but unlike her, had managed to string a reasonable sentence together. "And that's why we wanted to speak with you."

"Y-Yeah," Rey finally managed to add, her heart still racing from what the child insinuated. "Your name's Temiri, right?" The silence that followed the question was an answer enough and so Rey tried asking another question, although she felt like she already knew the answer. "Where are your parents? I can't imagine they'd allow you to work here in these conditions."

"...They owed the racetrack money and I was the payment."

"Oh. I'm sorry–"

"What do you mean, you're like me?"

"We're Force users, like you," she began to explain. She stepped forward, bringing her closer to the child, and while he made no moves to leave, his body was still tight with tension. Sensing that she was pushing his limit, she stopped at a comfortable distance with Ben quietly trailing behind her, unusually silent.

"...I dunno what you're talking about."

Tilting her head, she smirked before focusing on the bucket near the boy. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he denied stubbornly. Rey then, using the force, lifted the bucket unknowingly behind the child before slowly bringing it around, allowing it to hover between them. Temiri's eyes widened as he let the broom in his hand go in shock, his eyes flying between the two adults. "...Oh. _Oh_."

She placed the bucket to the ground and took another step, and another, until she was right in front of the child. Kneeling, she asked, "Do you know what the Force is?"

"I've...I've heard of it," he quietly muttered, his eyes shifting to Ben. "So he's really like us too?"

"Yes, he is." Smirking, she hid her mouth behind her hand and whispered loud enough for Ben to hear, "But Mr. Broody is a little shy."

"I heard that."

Rey giggled and was glad to hear Temiri do the same thing, as it broke the tension in the air. The sense of unease that had been plaguing them slowly disappeared as the boy became comfortable enough to reach out to the man.

"Can you do what I do, then?"

"I–"

The main door to the stable swung open, slamming into the wall and interrupting the trio. A Cloddogranian stormed in, shouting, "The fuck? Who the hell are you two? Get the fuck out of my stable!" Then, pointing to Temiri, he growled, "Why'd you even let them in? I told you what'd happen if I caught strangers in my stable, didn't I?"

Without thought, Rey shot up, placing herself between Temiri and the fat creature with a scowl marring her face. "We–"

But Ben, oh sweet _sweet _Ben, he waved a hand through the air. "You're not upset," he commanded, his voice low but humming with the power of the Force. Bargwill Tomder, the name printed on the nametag of the Cloddogranian, flipped like a switch; his entire demeanor changed as a glaze fell over his eyes. He began to repeat what Ben ordered, his voice high and face dropping into a dreamlike state.

"_I'm not upset_."

"You will leave this room and forget we were ever here."

"_I will leave this room and forget you were ever here._"

"Leave."

In a matter of seconds, the creature left, but the shaky breathing from behind her worried Rey. "Temiri?" she called out, reaching out for him.

Whatever trust that they had gained with the boy disappeared as he flinched away from her hand, his eyes wide with fear. They were shiny and his face was pale, and it was obvious with the tightness in his voice that he was holding back tears. "He's still going to remember after you leave though, won't he? I'll still get in trouble!"

A gentle hand on Rey's shoulder stopped her from talking and she watched as Ben took over, kneeling down on one leg to the small child, a hand resting on his knee. "I take it you don't like it here, do you?"

"_Of course_ I don't."

Rey knew with those words immediately what would follow, and the sudden panic that surged from within her crashed with Ben's calm determination as his thoughts went through their bond.

_Don't worry_, he said, but Rey quickly countered with another surge of panic. They were in no way capable of taking care of a child! She was barely able to take care of herself!

But she also saw Temiri through Ben's eyes. He was dirty, skinny with malnutrition, and the clothes he wore were threadbare. Rey's heart continued to fall as she realized that she saw a reflection of herself all those years ago. Those hungry eyes, looking for any opportunity to feel safe, to not have to worry about where her next meal would come.

"Would you like to come with us?"

* * *

**04**: End

* * *

**A/N**:_ I think that the story's going to end with either the fifth chapter or sixth – I'm not one hundred percent sure yet. I know that this chapter was definitely rushed and has grammar issues, but I hope it wasn't confusing! I wanted someway to combine TLJ and TROS together and the little boy that we saw with the force powers at the end of TLJ never showed up, so I figured that what perfect way to do that than now?_

_Anyways, please leave a review :)_


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary**: He pleaded to the stars but his whispers reached no ears but his own, the echoing of his cries the only witness to his pain. But they were a dyad in the Force, the power of life itself, so one was never meant to live without the other.

* * *

**Disclaimer**:_ I don't own Star Wars or any characters affiliated with it.  
Cover art by elithien._

* * *

"**No later light has lightened up my heaven,  
No second morn has ever shone for me;  
All my life's bliss from thy dear life was given,  
All my life's bliss is in the grave with thee."**

_Remembrance, _Emily Brontë

* * *

**Remembrance  
**Chapter Five

At Ben's question, Temiri was taken aback; he looked so shocked and felt as if he were dreaming. There was no way, he thought, that they wanted to take him in.

There definitely was a catch.

"What's the catch?" he demanded, a childish determination that Rey found herself amused by.

"There's no catch," Ben answered. "We're just asking if you'd like to come with us."

Temiri's lips thinned as his eyes flew from Ben's face to Rey's as his arms wrapped around himself. "People who ask that take kids, and we never see them again."

"But could they do what we can?" Rey countered. "I promise, Temiri, we're not those people." She kneeled down next to Ben, matching her height with the child. "I know how it's like out here, being alone for as long as you can remember. I grew up on Jakku, raised to be a scavenger – it was all I had known. Told to trust no one but yourself, wondering where your next meal was going to come from. But I didn't listen and became friends with people who were able to show me more of the galaxy – of _life_. So don't be afraid, I promise we won't hurt you."

"I…" He seemed unsure but looking back up to them, he stayed quiet for a minute before nodding his head. "Okay."

"I–Wait, really?" Rey, for some odd reason, was taken aback. She had been preparing herself to argue for a chance, to somehow prove that they were here to help, and wasn't expecting a quick yes.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you–"

"Rey, stop before you change the poor kid's mind," Ben said amusingly, placing a hand on her shoulder. He stood up, Rey following suit, and looked at Temiri. Temiri seemed uncomfortable but somewhat hopeful – a brightness in his eyes that Rey swore was not there five minutes ago.

"But before we go, can we do something?"

"Of course."

"Can you help my friends? Most of us were taken from our homes and families, and while we don't remember them anymore, I know that we deserve more than...this," he said, motioning to the entire stable. "_Please_."

"We'll do what we can."

Upholding her promise, Ben stayed back while Rey returned to the ship, calling for her friends. Once she connected with Finn, she explained her situation and of the kids, and he was more than willing to help. Children being taken from families was a sore topic for Finn, and if it was up to him he'd help _all_ the children in the Galaxy if he could, to ensure that what happened to him and the other stormtroopers would never happen again. _That _dream may have been unrealistic, but helping these kids here find homes and have a safe life, this was something that _could _do. So he promised to send aid and a delegation to Canto Bight as soon as he could, his own experiences at the city also fueling his quick decision.

Thankful, Rey said her goodbyes and began her walk back to the stables when she tripped on her dress. She reached out, preparing to catch herself when she was suddenly thrust into a vision.

She fell onto sand. Throwing her head up, there were two suns setting, the sunset tinging the sky into a mirage of orange, red, and yellow. In her hands was a single lightsaber, one she had never seen before, and she watched as she turned it on. Two soft yellow beams shot out, one from the top and another from the bottom, and at the two voices that called out to her from behind, she suddenly felt so warm – so full of love, of _life_.

"Rey!"

Then suddenly, hands were on her shoulders, bringing her out of the vision as she was being pulled up from the ground. No longer was the sky in the colors of a sunset and instead of the warmth of the setting sun, the coldness of stars and the moon shined down on her. Her eyes shot open and looking at her worryingly was a familiar pair creased with worry.

"Rey, what's wrong?" Ben asked, also looking around to see if there had been some attacker. "What happened?"

Once she got her bearings, Rey groaned and looked to her burning hands, cursing. They were all scratched up, little beads of blood bleeding through the thin layer of dirt. It was nothing serious, just a pain to deal with. "I just tripped, that's all," she reassured, despite sensing an oncoming headache. "I had a vision of some sort– I don't know, I have to think about it."

"Are you sure?" Ben asked, helping her stay up as she swayed on her feet, her headache aggressively thumping in her skull.

"Yeah." Smiling, she gave the good news. "Onto good things! Finn said he'd send a group for your friends, Temiri." She then turned to him, who was watching the buildings all around them in awe. He wasn't quite listening to what she was saying but he smiled at what she said. However, she suddenly frowned when she realized something. "We...we were so adamant about asking if you wanted to come with us that I forgot to ask about your parents," she said. Although she had an inkling that they weren't around, she still felt like it was something that needed to be asked.

"They…" Temiri's face fell as he clutched the bag he held in his hands tighter. "They died five years ago. I was four."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Inhaling deeply, he shook his head. "It's okay."

It wasn't okay, but she knew that this conversation would end here. There was no point in going further into painful histories, especially when it was relating to a death. He wasn't ready and forcing someone to talk about it, especially to someone you didn't know, would have been traumatizing to an adult, let alone a child.

So, in lieu of the sad conversation, Rey unexpectedly linked her arm with Ben's with a wide smile. He made a grunt of surprise – _something he was doing quite frequently as of late_ – and allowed himself to be led back to the ship, which happened to be only a few minutes away. "Time for an adventure, wouldn't you say?"

0O0

In the beginning, living with a child was rough.

For Rey, it was the fact that she didn't _really_ know what she was doing. She had asked her friends for advice but whatever answer they gave, it was something she already tried or knew. She was, for a lack of a better word, way over her head. And another problem presented itself as time went on. A problem which was quite trivial, _she knew_, but it was still one nonetheless.

The issue?

The bed.

It wasn't like there wasn't enough room for Temiri; there _definitely _was. It was more that they had to rearrange the rooms – Rey had given Temiri hers, the largest on the ship, which she had no problems with. Hell, she believed that the kid deserved it. The problem that surfaced was that she found herself during late _late_ nights either in the cockpit or engine room, she would drag her feet to her old room by instinct, forgetting in her half-asleep mind that it was no longer hers. Then she'd find herself practically _crawling _all the way to the other side of the ship to her new room.

But the solution to this problem was a quick and simple fix.

You see, Ben's room was much closer to Temiri's – _it was right next to it, in fact_ – than her new one, and one night, Rey happened to have said, _fuck it_. After standing in front of Temiri's door, she walked only a foot away from her old room and knocked on Ben's door, her mind too tired to care about the repercussions of this decision.

"Rey?"

"I'm tired and too lazy to go all the way back to my room. Yours is closer to the cockpit." Kind of pushing herself past him, she said, "I'm sleeping in here with you tonight."

And, well, that was that. His room became _their_ room, and sure, it was awkward in the beginning once Rey woke up, finding herself staring at Ben's back, but after living with someone who was her soulmate for the past year, it wasn't a difficult adjustment.

For Ben, however, living with Temiri was a much different story than Rey's, particularly in the beginning. Although it was his idea to bring Temiri in, at the end of the day, he was still terrified of himself – of the darkness that was too ingrained in his soul and mind. On a daily basis, he found himself anxiously tip-toeing around the child, unsure of what he could say or do, scared that he would somehow hurt the child with his words or actions.

Yet, once Rey began to sleep with him in his room, he voiced some of his concerns during their late-night talks. With her help, in the following months, he became more confident, no longer fully controlled by his fears. He learned to live with them, to grow around them.

And life for Temiri? Well, living on a space ship when he had only known the stables was a life adjustment alone, and to add to the new setting, he was now living with adults he didn't truly trust. Yes, he knew in the time that he lived with them that they cared and wouldn't hurt him like those who came before, but he was naturally suspicious – a result of the life he was forced to live on Canto Bight. He assumed that every mistake he made would result in being kicked out, thrown away like he was nothing, which was the reason behind his decision to keep an emergency bag of rations in his room.

One day, Rey had gone into his room to look for him, only to be saddened but just how...bland it was. The bed was neatly made, there were no clothes strewn about anywhere, and the books that they had gotten for him were neatly set on the small desk, pencils and pens placed carefully in a holder. A clean room, yes, but there was no life, no way to tell that it belonged to a nine-year-old boy. Curiosity got the best of her and she slid open the thin closet in the corner of the room; a bag fell out and while she felt bad for snooping around, she opened the bag. Inside, she found clothes, food, money – all of the essentials someone would have needed in an emergency.

Only, this wasn't an emergency bag.

It was an escape bag, ready at any moment's notice. Rey quickly recognized this and felt her heart fall, but carefully placed it back inside while her mind began running with several thoughts. After speaking about this to Ben, she decided to carefully pull Temiri aside a few days later.

"Temiri–"

With wide eyes, Temiri tripped over his words as he rushed out, "I'm sorry, whatever I did I'll fix it–"

Taken aback, she furiously shook her head. "What?" She rubbed her arm as she said, "No no, you didn't do anything wrong. I just...I wanted to ask you something."

"I...oh, okay." He began to pick at the hem of his shirt, a nervous tick she recognized. "Yeah?"

"I want you to know that I'm so glad you're here with us, okay? And that if you need _anything_, you can ask us." She wasn't one for physical displays of affection but she still pulled him into a hug – of course, with his permission – and continued, "I don't think you understand just how happy it makes me, knowing that you're here." She tightened her hug, hoping that it expressed what she wasn't quite able to say to him. Every emotion she felt, from thinking about how she was a kid, alone on a vast planet with no one to hoping to help a child in similar need out of that situation made her squeeze him even more.

"...Me too, Rey," he said in her ear. The swell of emotion in Rey's chest caused a tear to escape her eye, and as she pulled away, she found herself tearing up even more. She was wiping furiously at them though, laughing at the same time.

"I'm serious Temiri, I want this place to feel like a home for you."

"...It does, I promise." Then with a smile, he said, "I even love BB-8. He's _amazing!_"

After her conversation with him, she saw Ben facing his own fears a few days later, talking to Temiri with BB-8 nearby. He was anxious, their bond loud with so many different types of emotion that all belonged to Ben, and she hoped that he knew how proud she was that he was ready to speak to Temiri, to bare his own heart out to the child they were now taking care of.

Rey knew it went well when Temiri hugged Ben of his own accord. She was spying on them – so she was a little nosy, could you blame her – and she saw Ben falter for a few seconds. His face softened, though, as he returned the hug in his own clumsy way. She later found out from Temiri that Ben had told him about being Kylo Ren – a name that struck fear in most of the galaxy. Yet, Temiri had reassured her; he saw Ben as Ben Solo, the man who saved him, and not as Kylo Ren. Despite being a child, he _understood_, and Rey couldn't help but think that the Force was aiding them all.

With time, new routines developed, and although none of them admitted it nor realized it, they were slowly becoming a family – of sorts.

The events that would conspire today, however, would cement that even more.

The three were not on the Falcon today. They were back on Vandor, where Rey had picked up Ben a little over a year ago and had been living in a motel in Fort Ypso for the past week. To anyone watching, it would seem like they were a family, and they purposely did so – it was the safest way for them to travel not only through the city but through the galaxy as well.

While Rey's actions were familiar to all due to her association with the Resistance and the Jedi, her face was not; and Kylo Ren never took off his mask, so no one truly knew how he looked underneath it. They both kept their first names but changed their last names to whatever suited them when they traveled.

And of course, BB-8 came along with them. He quickly became a companion to Temiri more than Rey – and of course, she didn't mind that at all. She just hoped that Poe wouldn't be too upset that he would have to fight for his droid's attention a little more than before.

The reasoning they found themselves on this planet again was because Ben, upholding his promises to the Resistance, had gotten information about the former FOSB – First Order Security Bureau – that had stationed themselves here on the outskirts of the Sloo System.

"The FOSB?" Rey asked, tinkering with a lightsaber. She had begun building one after asking Ben for help, and remembering her vision, came up with an idea of a double-bladed lightsaber. Although she had yet to find a kyber crystal, the core of the lightsaber was almost done.

"They were the First Order's intelligence agency, operating a spy network that spanned all across the planets that the First Order had a hold on. I knew that we had a few stationed here before the collapse of the Order, but I wasn't sure what happened afterward. I needed concrete evidence before confirmed anything – I didn't want to waste any time coming out all the way over here only to be wrong." Looking at the hologram of a man in his hand, he growled, "Out of all the people to live, the director of the FOSB was the last person I wanted surviving Exegol. He's probably one of the most ruthless and sadistic people I've ever met." Then, muttering darkly, Ben added, "And that's saying something."

"And you're going to stop him?" Temiri asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, a tablet in his own hand.

"I'll try. But for now, I think it's time we find something to eat." Ben slid his arms into his large coat, and with this Rey placed her project aside and did the same. "We've been cooped up in this room a little longer than what I'm comfortable with."

"Can I choose where we go? Rey chose last time!" Temiri was quickly shoving himself into a winter coat, clearly a size too big, before running to the door.

In the six months they traveled together, he had grown. His hair was longer – starting to look like Ben's if you asked Rey – and he was taller. He was eating properly and had gained all the weight that he never had due to malnutrition from Canto Bight, and all in all, he was _healthy_. Yet, while physically he had changed, mentally, he was almost like a different person as well. No longer was he the shy, timid child they had met. Now that he felt safe with them, he grew more into his character. He had a stubborn streak that gave Rey a run for her money and he was loud, both in action and voice. Not to mention, he was _smart_. He quickly picked up on the Force lessons that Rey and Ben gave separately, and was breezing through the schoolwork that Rey had been given by those she befriended in a system a few weeks back.

"Sure, why not." Rey grabbed a beanie and shoved it on Ben's head, ignoring his grumbling, as she quickly followed after Temiri out the door. "Wait up for us!" she called out, looking back to see Ben locking up the door to their room.

Then, suddenly, the world stopped. The snow froze midair, the sounds of the wind stops, as Rey's entire body went stone cold – and not from Vandor's winter air. The air had an electric charge in it, making the hair on Rey's body stand. Everything happened in slow motion: she turned around without thought and began to run to where she saw Temiri; he was innocently making snowballs in his hands, standing next to BB-8. She screamed his name with Ben's voice echoing throughout the cramped road when he turned around towards them. His eyes widening, Rey reached out her hand, pulling him towards her.

She whirled back around and saw a man–

Not enough time to block–

She pulled Temiri behind her–

Ben calling out her name–

_Pain–_

A familiar roar of rage–

She felt numb–

Her chest–

Finally, time slowly returned and she found herself unable to...breathe? Coughing, she suddenly felt weak: she fell to her knees, forcing herself to look down, she saw a knife sticking out of her chest.

"Rey?"

She saw Ben standing over a body but all she could think about was Temiri. She managed to catch herself with one hand on the ground, blood slowly dripping out of her mouth, as the other she kept on her chest. The red left such a stark contrast to the blinding white snow, she thought.

Rey felt Temiri next to her, trying his best to hold her up, then she was suddenly in Ben's arms, his voice ringing in her ears.

"_Rey!_"

Only–

Darkness.

0O0

Rey shot up with a gasp, her eyes flying open with a hand on her chest. She was in an unfamiliar room, wearing unfamiliar clothes, and the beeping from the machine on her right told her immediately that she was in a hospital.

"Patient, you must remain still–" Rey ignored the medic droid and threw her legs over the side of the bed, preparing to search for Ben and Temiri when the door flew open, ending it before the search even began. Ben rushed in, still wearing what he wore earlier, while Temiri stood stiffly by the entrance, BB-8 beeping sadly behind his legs.

"Rey!" Ben stopped her from getting up as his words rushed out of his mouth in a wave. "Don't– you can't move right now. You're healing from the wound–"

"I'm fine! I feel fine!" Grabbing Ben's hand, she quickly asked, "Are _you_ okay? You weren't hurt?"

"I was okay, don't worry," he reassured. After allowing Rey to do a silent search of his body, he watched as she reached out to Temiri. "Temiri, please tell me you're okay – you're not hurt? Come here–"

"–_I'm fine_." His voice was hard, emotionless; and Rey, taken aback, looked back up to him. His face was grim as he slowly nodded his head, confirming what she had thought: Temiri blamed himself for Rey's injury.

Oh, did that upset her. "Don't you _dare _think that–"

"You wouldn't have gotten hurt if it wasn't for me."

"Temiri, come here."

"It's my fault–"

"_Come here_."

"I–"

"Don't make me use the Force." Narrowing her eyes, Rey threatened, "You know I will."

Temiri thought about her words wisely before he begrudgingly walked over, and Rey could easily see through the facade he was presenting to them both. When he reached her, she quickly looked over his body until her hands stopped at his face, forcing him to look at her. "Thank god you're okay," she softly said with her palms resting against his cheeks, startling the child.

"W-What?" He had expected her to be angry, to yell; not _this_. "You almost _died_."

"But _you _would have died; I couldn't have lived with myself if you were the one that had gotten hurt."

"But…"

"No buts." Smiling at Temiri one last time, she turned to Ben. "And you–" He was closed off to her right now in their bond and if that was due to whatever drug running in her system or if it was him, Rey wasn't quite sure. All she knew was that it made her _upset_. "–thank you for healing me." Although her instincts wanted her to fire off questions, she instead pulled him down to where she was sitting and kissed him on the cheek. "If you think I couldn't tell that you healed me then you're wrong."

"I– How?"

"_Stupid_, did you really think I wouldn't know? Why do you think I feel fine?" To showcase this, Rey stood up despite the angry protests from Ben, her legs as strong as any typical day. In fact, she felt..._great_. No pain in her chest, no body aches, _nothing_. She felt like she could run a marathon if anyone had asked her too.

"But seriously, I'm okay." Turning to the boys – _her boys_ – a sense of relief washed over her. "I'm just glad that you two are okay."

She allowed the droid to do whatever testing it needed and as she did, Ben explained what had happened.

The men that Ben had been hunting, the FOSB, had gotten word that he was searching for them. Quickly recognizing the couple, they had been scouting when they then realized that Temiri was in their care.

One of idiot spies thought it a great idea to attack their child.

When Rey ran after Temiri, Ben had turned in the opposite direction and quickly found the attacker. He quickly attacked the man and in his rage, nearly killed him, but managed to hold himself back. Instead, he ran towards Rey, catching her in his arms. His mind bombarded him with the traumatizing images of her death on Exegol all those months ago, but he knew that he couldn't let himself fall into that pit of memories. Instead, he recalled the feeling of healing her with the Force. With his emotions at such a high, he had not expected the Force to react to his will to save her but much to his surprise, it did. To this day, he continued to believe that he was too _dark_ to truly embrace the light, to be able to use the Force as Rey could, yet today's events helped prove to him that while he was not fully in the other side, he was going forth in the right path towards his redemption, towards the _light_.

"I want off this godforsaken planet," Rey demanded, glaring at the droid drawing her blood. "I want you to find those bastards as soon as possible so we can leave."

Chuckling, Ben quickly finished his story: while she was unconscious, he went looking for the remaining FOSB. Much to his surprise, only a handful of people remained, and one of them was the director. Ben made quick work of them before firing off the information to the Resistance, returning to Rey's side as soon as he could.

"Where too, then?" he asked.

"Tatooine."

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**05:** End

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**A/N:**_ At this point, I don't know what's happening with this story. Originally, I had planned on it focusing only on Rey and Ben as a dark angsty story – but clearly, it isn't anymore. The month I've been away seemed to have changed the course of this entire plot and idk how I feel about it. While Remembrance is not really the story I planned on writing, I'm not entirely disappointed by it either. It's more mixed than anything. __Although, I will admit that I'm having difficulty writing in each individual's voice. I can't really get a good feeling on how to write Ben or Rey for some reason but uh, I mean, we're here already so no stopping it now._

_The story is rushed, that I know. In an ideal world, I'd go more in-depth during the months Rey was with Ben, make it more of a romance like I originally planned. Write more about them becoming a family and whatnot. But I also wanted to finish this story in six chapters - originally, I had planned five. So we sacrifice some pacing, I guess. In my next story about Reylo, that's what I'll do, make it more Ben-centric, but for now, this is what I've got._

_We're in the home stretch now._

_Anyways, thank you so much __**fireelfmaiden1 **__and __**Marianita-chan**__ for your reviews. That, plus the followers I gained, are really inspiring me to finish this story._


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary**: He pleaded to the stars but his whispers reached no ears but his own, the echoing of his cries the only witness to his pain. But they were a dyad in the Force, the power of life itself, so one was never meant to live without the other.

* * *

**Disclaimer**:_ I don't own Star Wars or any characters affiliated with it.  
Cover art by elithien._

* * *

**"No later light has lightened up my heaven,  
No second morn has ever shone for me;  
All my life's bliss from thy dear life was given,  
All my life's bliss is in the grave with thee."**

_Remembrance, _Emily Brontë

* * *

**Remembrance  
**Final Chapter

"Tatooine," Ben echoed Rey's words.

"Yes." She ruffled Temiri's hair, frowning. "...Ben, we have to say our goodbyes." Walking towards her bag, she opened it and pulled out two lightsabers: Luke and Leia's. "Their story ended and–"

"–And we're the next chapter?"

A small smile, she turned back to Ben. He stood behind her and as Rey held Luke's saber, she placed Leia's into his hands. He had a distant look in his eyes, his hands slightly shaking as he gripped onto his mother's lightsaber. So many conflicting emotions flooded between them, and behind his unemotional visage hid his sadness; for what he did to his father and his mother's death. Their deaths were an open wound, only festering the longer time went on. He did well to hide his true feelings but Rey _knew_ him.

"Ben?"

It was time.

"...Okay." Turning to Temiri, who looked at them in confusion, they both sadly smiled. "It's time."

0O0

Once Rey was discharged, they returned to the Falcon and quickly left Vandor. Ben was unusually quiet but reasonably so. She did her best to explain their story to Temiri and why Tatooine was important, not just for Ben but for her as well.

"How long until we get there?" Ben asked, the three in the cockpit.

"We'll be there in a few minutes," she answered. "Will you pack some things?"

Ben silently nodded his head before walking away, leaving her alone with Temiri. He was speaking to BB-8 – _how he learned how to understand a droid would continue to confuse her_ – until they reached their destination. The ship came out of hyperdrive with a jolt and when the desert planet came into view, Rey's heart felt heavy.

The sands, she thought, it reminded her so much of Jakku. "Put your seatbelt on, Temiri," she muttered, starting the descent onto the planet.

"But–"

"_Please_."

"...Fine."

And after what felt like an hour but what was only really a few minutes, the ship landed. For miles around them was a sea of sand, no building nor mountain in sight. Rey was first the leave the ship, Ben following behind. Temiri had opted to stay behind.

She found a metal plate, large enough for them both, buried in the sand. She used it first to slide down towards Luke's abandoned home from years and years ago, where his journey first began.

She didn't turn when she heard Ben but did when he placed a hand against her arm. With a firm nod, she pulled on his hand as they searched what remained of the home, finding that time had eroded almost everything, leaving behind nothing but rust.

Yet, as Ben continued to make noises in his searching, Rey felt a pull in a direction towards the back. It was a voice she couldn't understand, a jumble of whispers in her ear. Almost as if she was in a daze, she had to push her way past the broken door into a room that held a broken frame of a bed and a rusted side table that held one drawer.

With a deep breath, she forcefully opened the drawer as it required her to use the force to even fit her hand into the small compartment. When she felt a box, she pulled it out and there was a hum of power that radiated from the container. "What...are you?" she felt herself whisper.

"I think it's a kyber crystal." Whirling around, she saw Ben standing by the doorway, staring at the box too. "Open it."

"I…" She walked over to him and some part of her was afraid and she couldn't understand why. "Do you hear its whispers?"

With a tilt of his head, he tried to listen but heard nothing, confirming his thoughts. Although he could sense the force from the small box, he knew that it wasn't for him. "No. It's yours, Rey."

She gulped. Her hands shook as she finally allowed herself to lift the lid. Lying in it was a singular crystal and...it _sang_; there was no words, no way to describe how she currently felt. As if electricity rushed through her, there was a sudden explosion of energy as whispers and voices echoed within her. They told her a tale of her futures, of the choices she could make, of her past – it was a gentle but chaotic feeling that Rey somehow felt at peace in. But as soon as she felt it, this feeling left. The strange charge in the air disappeared as her senses returned her back.

"It called to me."

With a smile, Ben placed a hand against her cheek. "You know what to do."

Furiously nodding her head, she handed him the crystal as she rummaged through her bag. She pulled out the lightsaber she had worked on, the only missing component the kyber crystal she now had. Her mind switched into autopilot as she began to work, unable to notice the loving smile that Ben had as he watched her. In moments like this, Ben felt his heart swell with happiness and love.

By god, did he love her.

Minutes passed before Rey blew a strand of hair out of her face, lifting up her complete weapon. Her thumb hovered over the activation matrix that with a turn, would activate the weapon when a thought came to Rey. "We should go out, do what we came here to do first," she said, turning up to him. Today wasn't about her.

"You should activate–"

She shook her head, taking the lead as she left the room. "No, that can wait."

With one last look at Luke's home, they promptly left it behind. They walked a few feet away from the underground building, stopping when Ben suddenly grabbed her. "I think...I think here is good."

He kneeled into the sand as Rey pulled out a small bundle that contained two lightsabers. She handed it to him and silently watched as he opened it. With a shaky hand, he placed it against his mother's, and seconds later she saw a single tear roll down his cheek.

"I'm scared, Rey," he whispered to her, still looking down. She kneeled before him and placed her hand on top of his, her grip giving him the strength to say...goodbye.

"It's okay to be scared." She gently lifted his face up and sadly smiled. "I'm here for you when you're ready."

With a gulp, he nodded his head and tied the bundle back up. Then, with their joint powers, they began to bury the lightsabers. The further down it went, the harder it was for Ben, but with Rey at his side, he knew he wasn't alone.

When the deed was done, and the sand buried the Skywalkers' lightsaber, he said, "Rey, turn your lightsaber on."

"I can do it later–"

"No, I think...I think it's fitting, isn't it?"

Rey, with a sigh, listened and pulled out her new weapon, but a smile involuntarily formed on her face as she turned its dials: twin blades shot out of the saber, the yellow color a surprise to them both as a quiet laugh escaped her lips.

Once she felt ready, she deactivated the lightsaber and stood up first, shooting a hand out to help Ben up. The twin suns began to set, the sky melting with hues of red, yellow, and orange. It basked a warmth onto the couple, and as a gentle wind blew around them she couldn't help but mutter, "Beautiful."

"I know." Rey turned her head up, expecting to see Ben looking at the sunset when instead she saw him looking at her. He slightly blushed at being caught but didn't turn away; instead, he returned her smile.

But a new voice interrupted them. "We rarely get new people here."

They both whirled around and saw an old lady behind them, quizzically looking at the couple. She had a cart of belongings as she motioned and asked, "Who are you?"

Rey hesitated, her mouth opening but with no answer. Ben instead answered first after a few seconds, quite awkwardly saying, "I'm Ben."

It seemed to be enough for her though. "And you?" the lady then asked, turning to Rey.

From afar, she swore she saw Luke and Leia standing together, looking at them, and that was the moment Rey finally understood. Something had clicked within her as she said,

"I'm Rey. Just...Rey."

They spoke with her for a few minutes before saying their goodbyes. But when they boarded the ship, Rey felt herself falter, taking one last look behind her.

Her life...had been so hard, so many years alone with only her thoughts, the sands of Jakku a witness to her pain. She could see a past vision of herself in the sands here, yearning for the parents that she could barely remember. She had wanted to be reunited with her parents, to be reminded of feeling her mother's gentle hugs and sitting upon her father's shoulders, just _one _more time.

Time and time again, she had dreamed of a family.

"Rey?" Turning to the voice, Rey brought herself out of her thoughts and saw Ben standing next to Temiri, a hand on the boy's shoulder as BB-8 beeped in concern. He remained silent but he had a knowing look in his eyes. Temiri ran down the ramp to her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm–" Her voice broke as her eyes welled up with tears. "I'm okay," she finally said, her voice no louder than a whisper.

She had come full circle, her dream now a reality.

Temiri pulled on her hand, urging her to hurry up, and with no hesitation this time Rey turned her back to the past and took her first step towards the unknown future.

* * *

**The End**

* * *

**A/N:**_ Yes! Done! A story I can say that I completed. Like I said, a little rushed but I wanted to finish this story and I vowed to do so. A little short but I think it's fitting. __I hope you enjoyed the bumpy ride that I put you guys through. I'm satisfied though with how I ended this and I hope you guys are too. Also, sorry for any errors that there are, I tried to find them but uh, well, I'm only human._

_I'm currently planning on writing another reylo story that takes place during the end of tros and obv afterwards, so please look forward to that if you enjoyed this! I promise it'll be better planned._

_Anyways, leave any reviews if you want too, I always enjoying feedback!_


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